Am I Ready for Deliverance Ministry?
The decision to go through the process of deliverance ministry is one of the best, yet most serious spiritual decisions you will ever make. As deliverance ministers, our desire is to achieve the most effective results possible. In order for that to take place, several factors must be considered.
He has come “to set at liberty those who are oppressed” (Luke 4:18).
“Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage” (Galatians 5:1).
The decision to go through the process of deliverance ministry is one of the best, yet most serious spiritual decisions you will ever make. As deliverance ministers, our desire is to achieve the most effective results possible. In order for that to take place, several factors must be considered.
- Are you seeking relief or release? When tormented by the enemy, it is understandable to want the pain and oppression to stop. But deliverance is not a band-aid. It goes to the core of every issue plaguing you and requires a lengthy process of in-depth counseling. Complete honesty and humility are essential for the process. All must be confessed in order for the process to be successful.
- What is your level of Christian maturity? We do not recommend deliverance if you are a baby Christian because it is unlikely you will have developed the spiritual disciplines necessary to keep your deliverance ( i.e. regular Bible reading, prayer, praise and worship, church attendance, etc.). We can get you clean and free but it is up to you to maintain your freedom. As scripture says, “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order (that’s after deliverance). Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that man is worse than the first.” (Matthew 12:43-43). This is the most sobering scripture in the Word regarding deliverance. We have seen too many people over the years that were not strong enough to maintain their freedom. When they returned to former sinful patterns, or just failed to draw closer to the Lord, they were infested with seven times more demons. It’s a tragic, yet preventable, outcome.
- Are you seeking deliverance because a loved one is pressuring you? If you are considering deliverance just to make someone else happy (or to get them off your back), you are better off waiting. It may sound odd but there needs to be an element of desperation in you in order for deliverance ministry to be successful. You need to be convinced on your own that deliverance is absolutely necessary for your well-being. Demons know if you are just “going through the motions” and will not leave if they sense hesitancy or apathy in you. You need to be highly motivated in order for there to be a good outcome.
- Have you ever engaged in spiritual warfare? If you are totally unfamiliar with the need for on-going spiritual warfare in your life, you may find the deliverance process strange and difficult. Availing yourself of good books, CD’s, etc. on the subject of spiritual warfare (in addition to the deliverance books we require you to read) will help you get up to speed. Otherwise, it falls to us to do all the “fighting” which is exhausting for us and makes for a long, difficult deliverance for you. The more familiar you are with your enemy, Satan, and the strategies that will defeat him, the more smoothly your deliverance will go. Awareness and ability in this area will be necessary for your continued freedom.
- Are you familiar with the Gifts of the Spirit? It is not necessary for you to be Spirit-filled in order to go through deliverance. We will pray for you to be baptized in the Holy Spirit (with the evidence of speaking in tongues) at the end of your deliverance session. But just like with spiritual warfare, if you have not been exposed to the gifts of Discernment, Word of Knowledge, Prophecy, Speaking in Tongues, etc., the deliverance process may be overwhelming for you. In such cases, we recommend you attend a Spirit-filled church, prayer meeting, etc. for several months prior to your deliverance. Being in that atmosphere will help prepare you for all you will see and experience and help you flow with the process rather than shrink back from it.
He has come “to set at liberty those who are oppressed” (Luke 4:18).
“Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage” (Galatians 5:1).